It Started With a Dream
by CommandMeConfessor
Summary: Set after the Arrow Season 2 finale, Oliver has to come to terms with a heartbreaking nightmare. Although dreams and nightmares have plagued him ever since the island this one is different. Should he seek comfort with everyone's favorite IT girl or continue to let the nightmare haunt him?


As Oliver turned off his bike he frowned. The window of Felicity's apartment that led out onto the fire escape was open. Was she asking to get robbed or worse? He placed his helmet on the seat of the bike and quickly made his way up the fire escape. When he got to her window he paused. Was it right for him to just invade her personal spaced like this? It was nearly 3am so he knew she would be asleep. He just wanted to check up on her, make sure she was safe, and then he would leave.

He climbed through the window and made his way towards the back of her apartment to her bedroom. He was again confused to find her bedroom door open. As he slid inside the room he squinted while he waited for his eyes to adjust. When they finally did he sighed. She was alright. She was in her pajamas and she had her hair down, her luscious blonde curls splayed across her pillow. What most captivated Oliver was her face. He was used to seeing a whole range of emotions from her but this was not one of them. She looked completely relaxed and peaceful. He had always thought she was beautiful but right now with the light from the full moon shining through the window she looked like a goddess. He was about to turn around and leave when he noticed that she had kicked off the covers and was shivering slightly. Ever so gently he picked up her blanket and laid it over her. Apparently he wasn't gentle enough because Felicity's eyes flew open and on instinct Oliver placed his hand over her mouth, silencing her scream. Recognition flashed in her hazy blue eyes and she relaxed her tensed body. Oliver removed his hand and smiled sheepishly.

Felicity was speechless. Oliver freaking Queen was in her bedroom at, she glanced over to her alarm clock, 2:53 am and he was smiling at her. Was she dreaming? She pinched herself really quick to make sure. Nope, there he was still smiling. Oliver had never seen Felicity look so flabbergasted and he understood why. Why was he standing in her room smiling like an idiot at her? He had to get out of there before things became even more awkward.

"I'm sorry, I'll just be going now." With that he turned on his heal and quickly walked out of the room. Felicity didn't even hesitate. She jumped out of bed and caught up to Oliver, grabbing his arm and spinning him around.

"Excuse me? I wake up to see you standing over me in the dead of night and you think you can just walk out of here without an explanation. Hell no mister! You are going to sit down on that couch and explain what just happened."

Oliver did as she commanded right away. Her tone of voice caught him off guard, she had never spoken to him like that. He had expected some cute and embarrassing rambling not a serious and commanding tone. Felicity sat between him and the window, blocking any chance he had to make a quick getaway. Raising her eyebrows and tilting her head she waited for a minute or so before Oliver began to talk.

"I had a dream okay?" He looked at the floor, not willing to meet her eyes.

"A dream? You came to my house to scare me half to death because of a dream?" Felicity was confused.

He hesitated before responding, "Not a dream, more like a nightmare. Why does it matter?"

"It matters because I would like to know why I'm up at this ungodly hour so keep talking buster" Felicity said, inwardly cringing at using the word buster.

"I, well in the dream, I couldn't…" he trailed off unable to finish his sentence.

"Oliver look at me. Whatever happened in this dream you can talk to me about it okay? You came here for a reason and I think talking about it will help you. Please talk to me." She was starting to get worried. Well more worried. Having the usually stoic Oliver admitting he was scared of a dream was a big deal and she really wanted to help him through whatever this was.

He slowly turned his head and meeting her eye said, "My dream was about you."

"Oh." Felicity made the same exact noise she had made when Oliver had told her in the mansion that Slade had taken the wrong girl. Never in a million years had she expected those words to come out of his mouth.

"We were back at the warehouse and Slade had is katana to your throat. He was slowly pulling it back and forth making your blood drip down from the cuts he was making. You stayed strong. God you were so strong Felicity I have always admired that about you. A crazy murderer was holding a sword to your throat and you weren't even crying. You just stared into my eyes and I could see the faith you had in me to get you out of the situation safely. But it only made me worry more. What if I failed you like I failed this city? What if I couldn't stop him in time before he hurt you? Because of this lack of confidence I hesitated and that was all it took for him to slit your throat. I stood there frozen as I watched it is slow motion. I couldn't move a muscle, I couldn't save you. I saw you fall to the ground and it was only then that I was able to move. I fired arrow after arrow into his chest until I had emptied my quiver. I didn't even wait for him to hit the ground before I was sprinting to your side. You were looking up at me with those beautiful blue eyes and you… you…" He couldn't keep going. He wasn't even ashamed when the tears started falling down his cheeks.

Felicity was still trying to process what he had said when she saw the tears and became alarmed. She had never seen Oliver cry. Not even when Tommy and his mother died. And here he was sitting on her couch crying over a dream about her. Without thinking she scooted across the couch and wrapped her arms around his shaking body. The angle was awkward but she needed to comfort him.

"Shhh it's okay, it's okay Oliver. Don't be ashamed to cry, you deserve a chance to let it out. It's okay, I'm okay, I'm right here. Shhh." She pulled his head closer and gently ran your fingers through his hair while her other hand reached down to rub soothing circles on his back. "You don't have to finish telling me if you don't want, just let it out."

Felicity's soothing embrace only made Oliver cry harder. What did he do to deserve this woman? He had gone from a playboy to a killer. He had used her as bait, put her in harm's way. He didn't deserve this. Even more than that she deserved a man who wasn't broken inside like he was. A man that kept her safe, understood her nerdy references, and devoted every second of his life lavishing all of his attention on her. He couldn't do that. He knew he should push her away and leave before he said anymore but he couldn't. The last time she had hugged him was when he had returned back to the Foundry safe after escaping the trap Shrapnel had set. This embrace was different. She was trying to comfort him and it warmed his heart. She was the one who had been captured by a Mirakuru crazed killer just a few days ago, he should be comforting her. When he finally lifted his arms to return her hug she tensed for a second and then relaxed. It was then that he realized what an uncomfortable angle this must be for her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up. He placed her so she was effectively straddling his legs facing him.

Felicity gasped. What… what just happened. One second she was rubbing circles on Oliver's back and now she is straddling him. Before she had time to voice her confusion Oliver pulled her close and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. He continued to cry into the crook of her neck. She was about to open her mouth when Oliver started talking softly near her ear, causing her to shiver.

"You were laying on the ground and staring up at me. I lifted your head into my lap and held your outstretched hand in mine. I saw the look in your eyes and I had to look away. All I saw was betrayal and hurt in your eyes. You felt betrayed that I promised to keep you safe and yet I had let Slade hurt you. But once you saw the tears on my cheeks you reached up and wiped the tears saying, "I forgive you." I saw you struggling to stay conscious but the cut on your throat was causing you to cough up blood and you couldn't fight it any longer. I hovered over you, begging you to stay with me, that I need you. I said I was sorry for telling you I love in the mansion and making you think it was just part of the plan when it was the truth. Your eyes fluttered open for the last time and you smiled. Then you were gone. That's when I woke up screaming in my bed. I didn't know if that had actually happened or if you were still alive and I had to know. I tried texting you and calling you but you weren't answering your phone. I called Dig, he wasn't too happy at being called so early in the morning and asked him if you were okay. He said you were perfectly fine and that I needed to calm down. I thanked him and hung up. I had to see you, I had to confirm what he said. I came in here to make sure you were safe and I was about to leave when I noticed that who had kicked off your covers so I tried to put the blanket back on you and you woke up."

Felicity didn't know what to say. Oliver's dream was a lot to process. He dreamed about her death and then when he woke up wasn't sure what was real so he came over to see her. She was still thinking it over when something hit her. He had told dream Felicity that what he had said in the mansion was true. Did that mean, could it possibly mean….

"Yes." He smiled his typical smug smile.

Felicity pulled back and looked at Oliver. "Yes what?"

"You said the last bit out loud so I was answering your question." As recognition dawned on her face Oliver couldn't help but chuckle. She was so adorable when she had her Eureka face on.

Felicity was in shock. "Oh, well, yeah. Wow. Really? I mean are you sure you're not just saying that because I died? In your dream I mean. Although I must admit it's really cool that you dream about me. And that's not weird because I dream about you too. I mean, not like that, well yes like that, but what girl wouldn't. Shutting up in three, two…"

Felicity never got to finish her counting. Oliver quickly covered her mouth with his and silenced her lovable rant. As she struggled to catch her breath minutes later Felicity couldn't help but smile and think that maybe she should rant more often.


End file.
